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少走弯路

English translation: Many options

07:26 Aug 26, 2005
Chinese to English translations [PRO]
Tech/Engineering - Telecom(munications)
Region (target): English (United Kingdom)
Chinese term or phrase: 少走弯路
XXXX，可以使我们少走弯路。
Simtech Zhang
China
Local time: 18:28
English translation:Many options
Explanation:
to avoid the pitfalls of...
to prevent us from making any unnecessary mistakes...
to save us from spending unnecessary costs...
to save us from the costs/expense of....
to avoid trap...
to save us from wasting time (in) -ing...
Selected response from:

Last Hermit
Local time: 18:28
Grading comment
3 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer



Summary of answers provided
3 +4avoid a lot of unnecessary effort
chica nueva
5 +2Many options
Last Hermit
5 +1to avoid roundabout way
Yangzi
4 +2avoid coming round/taking a circuitous road
Shang
4 +2avoid (taking) a detour
vwkl (X)
5 +1avoid detours
redred
3 +1avoid back road, circuitous route, deviation, diversion, fork, roundabout way, runaround
Ritchest
3 +1prevent going down the wrong path 或 avoid barking up the wrong tree
wherestip


Discussion entries: 1





  

Answers


11 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 5/5 peer agreement (net): +1
少走弯路
to avoid roundabout way


Explanation:
FYI: Can be found on Internet
学在乌克兰,爱在大中国----留学前言
您的浏览器不支持.swf文件,请下载FLASH播放器! ... 使大家少走弯路,不走弯路;少踏陷阱,不踏陷阱;少花金钱 ... It will help you avoid roundabout way and traps and money ...
kyiv.363.net/kyiv5.htm - 2004年1月27日 - 31k - 网页快照 - 更多该网站内容

Yangzi
Local time: 18:28
Native speaker of: Native in ChineseChinese

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  chica nueva: avoid taking roundabout routes
4 hrs
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48 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5 peer agreement (net): +2
少走弯路
avoid coming round/taking a circuitous road


Explanation:
...

Shang
China
Local time: 18:28
Specializes in field
Native speaker of: Chinese
PRO pts in category: 35

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  wherestip: agree. avoid taking a circuitous road
2 hrs
  -> thanks!
agree  chica nueva: 'coming round' isn't quite right in English (没那个词 - 有这个词,但不是这个用法) - you've transliterated it from '绕一圈'.taking a circuitous route is OK.
1 day 15 hrs
  -> thanks!
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2 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5 peer agreement (net): +1
少走弯路
avoid back road, circuitous route, deviation, diversion, fork, roundabout way, runaround


Explanation:

1. avoid back road, circuitous route, deviation, diversion, fork, roundabout way, runaround,
2. avoid setback, about face, flip-flop, hitch, obstacle, slowdown, stumbling block, trouble

Ritchest
Local time: 18:28
Native speaker of: Chinese

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  chica nueva: OK (maybe, depending on the context) but you need to put 's' on most of these. BTW 'runaround' is not right - 'give someone the runaround' is something else...
1 day 14 hrs
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2 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5 peer agreement (net): +1
少走弯路
prevent going down the wrong path 或 avoid barking up the wrong tree


Explanation:
a suggestion

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 2 hrs 55 mins (2005-08-26 10:21:26 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

please don't take the 2nd phrase too seriously. But it's been used quite frequently lately in the forum ;-)

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 3 hrs 16 mins (2005-08-26 10:42:49 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

prevent (somebody) from going down the wrong path

wherestip
United States
Local time: 05:28
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish, Native in ChineseChinese
PRO pts in category: 20

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  chica nueva: it's the right idea.'avoid a lot of sidetracks and dead-ends', 'avoid a lot of (unnecessary) backtracking' would be OK.
1 day 13 hrs
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8 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5 peer agreement (net): +2
少走弯路
avoid (taking) a detour


Explanation:
Here's another one that you might want to consider. I believe it is quite commonly-used too.

Also, FYI the original Chinese phrase is equivalent to
少走冤枉路,免就冤枉路 etc.

vwkl (X)
Canada
Local time: 06:28
Specializes in field
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish, Native in ChineseChinese

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Denyce Seow: I like your answer too!
4 hrs
agree  chica nueva: avoid taking/making detours is OK - would be understood but might sound a little strange (因为mostly associated with roadworks 修路). 'avoid a lot of sidetracks and dead-ends' 'avoid a lot of backtracking' might be OK though...
1 day 8 hrs
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4 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5 peer agreement (net): +4
少走弯路
avoid a lot of unnecessary effort


Explanation:
avoid a lot of unnecessary effort; (maybe, prevent us from 'trying to reinvent the wheel', depending on the context)

弯路= 1 crooked road; tortuous path 2 roundabout way; detour eg 少走弯路 avoid detours 由于缺少经验,我们工作走了弯路.Owing to lack of experience we took a roundabout course in our work. (外研社;汉英词典)
弯路 = 不直的路,比喻工作,学习等不得法而多费的冤枉工作.(现代汉语词典)


--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 16 hrs 49 mins (2005-08-27 00:15:46 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

Other possibilities:
avoid a lot of trial and error
avoid a lot of unproductive effort

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 16 hrs 54 mins (2005-08-27 00:20:45 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

trial and error = 反复试验(朗文进阶词典)
->unnecessary trial and error = 没必要的反复试验(跟'reinventing the wheel'相同).

chica nueva
Local time: 22:28
Native speaker of: English
PRO pts in category: 3

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Denyce Seow: I like this answer best because it is a more natural and native expression. The others (except for Vikki's answer) are a tad too literal.
7 hrs
agree  DauWu
1 day 3 hrs
agree  jyuan_us
1 day 4 hrs
agree  Edward LIU
1 day 10 hrs
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21 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 5/5 peer agreement (net): +1
少走弯路
avoid detours


Explanation:
It is true that with the help of Tsung-Dao Lee and other international friends, we were able to avoid detours.

属类：【时事政治 】-〖邓小平选集〗-[世界高科技]


redred
China
Local time: 18:28
Native speaker of: Native in ChineseChinese

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  chica nueva: avoid taking/making detours/going off on sidetracks. detour = 绕行的路;迂回路 eg a detour to avoid the town centre 避开市中心绕道而行的路 (朗文进阶词典)
19 hrs
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22 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 5/5 peer agreement (net): +2
少走弯路
Many options


Explanation:
to avoid the pitfalls of...
to prevent us from making any unnecessary mistakes...
to save us from spending unnecessary costs...
to save us from the costs/expense of....
to avoid trap...
to save us from wasting time (in) -ing...


Last Hermit
Local time: 18:28
Specializes in field
Native speaker of: Native in ChineseChinese
PRO pts in category: 7

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  wherestip: agree. "avoid pitfalls" is very appropriate imho
10 hrs
agree  chica nueva: very true - need more context [BTW (I hope you don't mind) spending money unnecessarily/incurring unnecessary costs]
18 hrs
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